Method and system for least cost routing (LCR) of international mobile telephone calls with an integrated money transfer facility

ABSTRACT

A method and system for least cost routing for mobile telephone calls between the United States and Mexico in such a way so that the call is separated into several call legs and the international portion or call leg is routed via a low-cost or no-cost route independently of the local call legs, essentially achieving an international call with local call rates. This uses a SIM card that automatically identifies any incoming or outgoing call and provides the ability to convert the call from an expensive international and/or roaming call to a local (free) call. Several slight variations are disclosed, and all embodiments have an integrated money transfer service that can be used with a very simple low-cost basic mobile phone using IVR, SMS and voice recognition, or can be accessed via the web or via a smartphone app.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application derives priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication 62/536,757 filed 25 Jul. 2017.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a telecommunications and financialtransaction service, and more specifically, to the application of leastcost routing for international mobile telephone calls with an integratedfacility for international money transfer services.

2. Description of the Background

Mobile telephony has become almost ubiquitous worldwide. The number ofusers is ever increasing as are the technologies and services that areavailable over these devices. Mobile users are able to communicate withanyone in the world without the restrictions and limitations of cablesor any fixed customer-side infrastructure. Coverage and the quality ofservice are continuing to improve providing sustained momentum for thissector to thrive in the years to come. All this progress is both fueledby and a result of the continually falling costs of owning and usingmobile telephony devices and services.

Although calling locally on mobile phones has systematically become morefinancially viable, some costs of mobile telephony services do remainexceedingly expensive. These include the cost of international callsmade over mobile telephony networks.

Millions of people in the United States have families abroad and formany of these people, international mobile telephony costs exceed theirmeans. A large portion of these citizens cannot even maintain a landlinephone and take advantage of the convenience of “pay-as-you-go” mobiletelephony plans.

Today, there are several methods by which international calls can bemade over mobile infrastructure that will reduce these telecommunicationcosts. These include apps installed on mobile phones at both ends of acall where the call setup is initiated via traditional internationaltrunks, the caller's phone rings but is not answered, the call ends andis rerouted to ring on the caller's phone once again. Others involve thedialing of long strings of numbers to complete calls. Others stillrequire an extensive installation of access layer hardware in areaswhere mobile telephony subscribers to the service reside.

For example, US Patent Applications 20130343246, 20130150010 and20130343230 all by Manyakin et al. (Power2mobility, LLC) show a methodfor answering incoming anchored calls through a local number to avoidcost. A call control application server (CCAS) monitors both phones.When a user decides to initiate a call the CCAS receives the inboundcall request, extracts the calling number and parks the call. At thecalled user's phone, the client app rejects the call before the calleduser can answer, extracts the call setup info, and makes an outgoingcall to a local number managed by the CCAS. To reject the incoming call,the called user's mobile handset is equipped with an application clientthat monitors the call request for pickup number, DTMF sequence sent byserver by SMS or through push notification. After providing the callsetup info to the CCAS, the CCAs merges the local call to the parkedcall.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,340,020 to Gan et al. (Industrial Technology ResearchInstitute) issued Dec. 25, 2012 shows a method and gateway for routinginternational mobile telephone calls. A PSTN gateway is utilized toroute an international roaming call so as to achieve the cost-savingobjective. A caller in the United States dials the number 4432222222 toreach the roaming subscriber who is currently in Taiwan. The connectionrequest will reach the U.S. PSTN gateway at the caller's location first,and this segment of communication is charged on a local call basis. TheU.S. PSTN gateway finds the called mobile phone number through a mappingtable and chooses the Taiwan PSTN gateway in the subscriber's homecountry through an IP network. This segment of communication goesthrough an IP network rather than through an international call, andthus the cost is reduced. The Taiwan PSTN gateway reconnects to themobile phone of the roaming subscriber through a GMSC, and this segmentof communication is charged on a local call basis.

Also see Lin, Eliminating Tromboning Mobile Call Setup for InternationalRoaming Users, IEEE, 6 pages, January 2009, which explains how a callfrom the visited country to a roaming customer at that country resultsin the tromboning effect, but that the two international calls can bereplaced with two local calls. The Lin article suggests swapping out SIMcards. Prepaid wireless SIM cards are common in over 50 countries,including most of Europe, United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia andparts of Asia, and account for approximately 10% of all mobile phonesubscriber networks around the world. When using a SIM card alltransactions are inherently debited to a virtual network operator(usually leasing network bandwidth), and SIM cards frequently includeSIM-based applications that run in the background.

All the foregoing may provide for reduced call costs, but involve losttime, awkwardness in their application, and high cost of installationand maintenance of access layer hardware.

As an adjunct to mobile telephony services with cheaper long distanceservices, cheaper long distance money transfer services would bebeneficial. Many traditional money transfer services that are offeredtoday require the physical presence of the sender at a money transferoffice with the appropriate amount of cash in hand. Other moresophisticated systems allow a user to interact with the system via a webinterface. However, most of these require the existence of a bankaccount for both the sender and the receiver of the funds. Others mayuse an extant electronic wallet or service such as Paypal™ for theactual payments of the money to be transferred.

For example, US Patent Application 20140058928 by Cornforth Et al.(Vodaphone) issued Feb. 27, 2014 shows a method and system fortransferring funds using a mobile telephone wherein the account isallowed to go or remain overdrawn following the debit.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,781,966 to Blair et al. (Western Union) issued Jul. 15,2014 shows a money transfer via pre-paid wireless communication deviceslinked to a pre-paid money transfer account. The wireless communicationdevice may access a pre-directed phone number, e.g., *55, to access amoney transfer service provider. Once connected to a money transferservice provider, a user may initiate a money transfer via the wirelessdevice, which is placed directly into the account of a payee oroptionally paid to a payee in-person at a money transfer serviceprovider location.

What is needed is a method of money transfer that frees the sender andthe receiver from the need to be tied to a bank account, or otherfinancial service. This would require a facility that provides multiplemethods of payment and multiple interfaces including connectivity viaservices available over mobile telephony such Interactive Voice Response(IVR), Voice Recognition, SMS or a mobile app.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asimple, elegant and least cost international mobile telephony routingservice—one that not only provides least cost routing, but can promiseinternational mobile telephony calling with local rates.

It is another object to provide an integrated international moneytransferring service via mobile telephony without the participation ofthird party financial institutions.

In accordance with the above-described object, an embodiment of thepresent invention is a method and system for least cost routing formobile telephone calls between the United States and internationaldestinations. The invention includes an integrated money transferfacility that allows users to transfer funds from the United States tointernational destinations using only their mobile phones and a prepaidvoucher without the need for bank accounts, credit or IDs. Although thisinvention can be adapted to be used for calls between the United Statesand any destination country, its initial embodiment has been tailored tofunction between the United States and Mexico. As such, it is thisembodiment that has been used in the remainder of this document todescribe and illustrate the invention's methodologies, functionality andoperation.

The invention allows a mobile telephone user in the United States tocall a destination in a previously chosen area code in Mexico in such away so that the call is separated into several call legs. The first callleg, from the mobile phone to the local telco is perceived by the telcoas a local call and is charged as such. Similarly, the final call legfrom the local Mexican telco to the destination telephone is alsoperceived as a local call. The international portion or call leg isrouted via a low-cost or no-cost route independently of the local telcoson each end, essentially achieving an international call with local callrates.

The invention has several embodiments all involving bidirectionalcalling between a US based mobile phone using the invention and anymobile or landline phone in a target area code in Mexico. The proposedinvention employs a SIM card that automatically identifies any incomingor outgoing call and provides the ability to convert the call from anexpensive international and/or roaming call to a local (free) call. Inoperation both calling and called phones may be equipped with authorizedSIM cards running SIM client applications that communicate with controlcenters in the respective countries. The SIM Card client applicationmonitors incoming/outgoing calls for set parameters (calling ordestination number). Upon recognizing an incoming or outgoing callsubject to long distance/international/roaming charges the clientapplication coordinates with a local control center to intercept thecall and convert it from a roaming call to a local (free) call. Thefollowing example illustrates the process . . . .

1st: US Caller dials Called User in Mexico, or any other chosen“destination number”. SIM client application recognizes called numberand makes the call by Voice over IP (VoIP) for delivery over InternetProtocol (IP) networks. The call protocol is SIP, which is the primaryprotocol of VoIP, and is from a URI address, which is very similar to anemail address, e.g. 12345678@64.21.232.X.

2d: SIP call control information is communicated to US call controlcenter including called number, calling number, HLR and VLR information;

3d: US call control center receives inbound call request, extracts thecalling and destination numbers, authenticates both destination andcalling numbers, and parks the call & SMS messages.

4^(th): US call control center formulates a call setup request to thecalled number in said foreign country; automatically determines three ormore lowest cost routing options, and transmits the routing options andtheir costs via SMS to the caller's SIM card application;

5^(th): the caller uses their mobile phone to select their desiredlowest cost calling option, and the chosen option is transmitted back tothe US call control center;

6^(th): US call control center initiates a new call to the destinationnumber via the route chosen, takes the parked first leg of the call andmerges it with the second leg of the call, thus connecting the call fromend to end.

7th: The transaction made on the same Id caller and Sim allowing aVirtual card operation as well as account assessments.

Variations on the foregoing embodiment are also disclosed. Allembodiments have an integrated money transfer service that can be usedwith a very simple low-cost basic mobile phone using IVR, SMS and voicerecognition, or can be accessed via the web or via a smartphone app.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become readily apparent from the following detaileddescription thereof which is to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the LCR procedure of a call originating from a US basedmobile phone using the invention to a mobile or landline telephone inthe target area code in Mexico.

FIG. 2 shows the LCR procedure of a call originating from a telephone inthe target area code in Mexico to a US based mobile phone via the localMexican landline number

FIG. 3 shows the LCR procedure of a call originating from a US basedmobile phone using the invention to a Mexico based mobile phone alsousing the invention.

FIG. 4 shows the LCR procedure of a call originating from a Mexico basedmobile phone using the invention to a US based mobile phone also usingthe invention.

FIG. 5 depicts a detailed block diagram of the least cost routingprocedure and methodology.

FIG. 6 shows the interaction of a user with the money transfer serviceusing an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system.

FIG. 7 depicts the architecture of the money transfer system.

FIG. 8 describes the step by step money transfer procedure at a highlevel.

FIG. 9 shows the money transfer architecture with a local communicationsbridge using data communications, either via Web or mobile.

FIG. 10 shows the money transfer architecture with a local interactivevoice server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a system and method of least cost routing formobile telephone calls between two countries, e.g., the United Statesand Mexico. A preferred embodiment of the invention also includes anintegrated money transfer facility that allows users to transfer fundsbetween the United States and Mexico using only their mobile phones anda prepaid voucher without the need for bank accounts, credit or IDs. Theinvention allows the routing of these calls in such a way so that thecalls are seen by telecom operators as local calls. This is achieved bythe use of an application embedded in a SIM card in the mobile device aswell as an application server that provides least cost routing as wellas call leg management.

The SIM card when activated in the United States allows the device tobecome associated with a local United States mobile number as well as acorresponding local Mexican telephone number. The United States mobilenumber is sent to the user via an SMS text message and is within thearea code of the location of the user. The Mexican telephone number ischosen during the initial setup by the user such that it is in thetarget area code. The target area code is the area code of the intendeddestination of the user's calls to Mexico.

When activated in Mexico, the SIM card becomes associated with a localmobile number only. The invention does not include LCR for calls madefrom the mobile in Mexico to third party telephone numbers in the UnitedStates.

Once the initial setup is complete, calls can then be placed from

-   -   the mobile telephone in the United States to destination numbers        in the target area code in Mexico;    -   telephones in the target area code in Mexico to mobile        telephones in the United States;    -   mobile telephones in the United States to a mobile telephone in        Mexico; and    -   mobile telephones in Mexico to a mobile telephone in the United        States.

A first embodiment of the invention is described with reference totelephone calls originated from a mobile telephone in the United Statesto a landline or mobile destination in the target area code in Mexico.This is done in such a way so that only local charges are incurred onthe US side of the communication, and least-cost-routing (LCR) isemployed to achieve a low cost for the internationally routed part ofthe call.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present system includes a specially-programmedSIM card 12 installed in the originating telephone, here US mobiletelephone 10. The present system also relies on a dual-control centerarchitecture comprising a US-based control center and a Mexico-basedcontrol center. The US-based control center includes application server(AS) 40, voice gateway 30, and switch 20. The Mexico-based controlcenter similarly includes application server (AS) 40, voice gateway 30,and switch 20.

The sequence of operation is as follows:

1. US mobile telephone 10 calls a Mexican number (either landline ormobile) in the Mexican area code that was chosen as the target area codeduring initial setup. In this embodiment, the receiving telephone, hereMexican mobile telephone 50, is using a third party mobile provider 60and is not using the invention.

2. The SIM card 12 of the calling US mobile telephone 10 recognizes thata call is being initiated and originates the call via Voice over IP(VoIP) over the data connection of the mobile telephone 10 using SessionInitiation Protocol (SIP). SIP calls utilize a Uniform ResourceIdentifier (URI) in the form of the telephone number along with the IPaddress of the mobile telephone on the data network. This URI is of theform 8185551234@65.128.55.4.

3. Once a call has been dialed, the SIM card 12 application on themobile telephone 10 communicates call control information to the AS 40as indicated by (1) in FIG. 1. This information includes called number,calling number, HLR and VLR information.

4. The AS 40 recognizes and authenticates the mobile telephone 10 callerbased on the URI and terminates the first leg (1) of the call. This leg(1) is considered a local call and is charged as such. The AS 40 parksthis locally terminated call (1). All subsequent call legs are unseen bythe local telecom provider 60.

5. The AS 40 formulates a call setup request to the called number inMexico and, before initiating it, automatically determines the lowestcost routing options. Generally these options include SIP over privateor public networks, SS7, TDM and others. The AS 40 then transmits thesingle cheapest preferred call option to the caller's SIM card 12application using the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)protocol, which then instructs the caller's phone 10 to initiate thecall using the preferred call option.

6. This information is returned to the AS 40 which then initiates a newcall to the destination number via the route chosen, all as indicated by(2) in FIG. 1. The local telephony switches and voice gateways are usedto connect the call using a combination of SIP, g711 codec and TDMfloating above the PSTN and VoIP.

7. The call (2) is routed to telephony switch 70 or voice gateway 80(depending on the choice made) in Mexico, and in turn to the associatedMexican landline number and is terminated (ended) at the originallycalled destination number. This is the second call leg (2) originatingfrom the US Control Center and terminating on the destination number viathe local Mexican landline number 65. As indicated by (3) in FIG. 1, thedestination number can be either a mobile or landline number. This callleg (3) is routed via third party telecom provider 60 in such a way thatit remains unseen by the US telecom provider 16. This call leg (3)incurs reduced costs based on the algorithm applied in the AS 40.

8. Once the second call (2) is terminated (ended) using the localMexican landline number 65 to the destination number, the AS 40 takesthe parked first leg (1) of the call and merges it with the second leg(2) of the call thus connecting the call from end to end.

9. After the call is complete and the users hang up, the originatingcaller is provided with a report on the screen of the mobile device 10indicating the number of minutes used. Additionally, cost and remainingbalance information will be displayed depending on the payment plan thecaller is using (pay as you go or flat fee with unlimited minutes) andon the initial choice of call route and cost the caller selected. Theabove-described embodiment of the invention has the following call legsand incurs the following associated costs:

-   -   Call leg 1—Originator 10 to AS 40 using VoIP/SIP—local call        costs    -   Call leg 2—AS 40 to original destination 50 via        SIP/g.711/TDM/SS7 depending on users choice—low cost alternative        routing.

As shown in FIG. 2, a similar routing procedure can be employed forcalls originated from a Mexican telephone number within the target areacode to a US based mobile telephone 10 using the invention's SIM card 12via the local Mexican landline number 65. In this example, theoriginator of the call is any landline or mobile number (excludingmobiles using the invention's SIM card 12) that are within the targetMexican area code while the destination number is a mobile telephone 10using the service's SIM card 12.

This sequence of operation is as follows:

1. A Mexican landline or mobile telephone 50 calls the local Mexicantelephone number paired to the US mobile telephone 10 using the service.This call (1) reaches the Mexican Control Center.

2. The AS 90 recognizes that this is a number paired with an US basedmobile 10 using the invention's SIM card 12 terminates the first leg ofthe call at the Control Center in Mexico. This is indicated by (1) inFIG. 2. This leg (1) is considered a local call and is charged as such.The AS 90 parks this call locally and all subsequent call legs areunseen by the local telecom provider 60.

3. The AS 90 knows the corresponding number of the US based mobile phone10 and initiates a call setup request to this number using Least CostRouting. Again, these options include SIP over private or publicnetworks, SS7, TDM and others.

4. Once the lowest cost has been determined, the call is routed to theSwitch or Voice Gateway (depending on the routing method) in the ControlCenter in the USA as indicated by (2) in FIG. 2. This is the second callleg and is unseen by the local telecom providers on either end of thecall. Caller ID, called number and the Mexican based landline number areall transmitted along with the all call control information for thecall. At this point, the original call leg (1) is merged with this callleg (2).

5. The Control Center in the USA receives the information and performsthe third and final call leg reaching the US based mobile phone 10 viaVoice over IP over its data connection. This is indicated by (3) in FIG.2.

6. Once the US mobile phone 10 starts ringing, the call that was parkedat the Control

Center in Mexico is connected with the second call leg (2) to connectthe call end to end.

This embodiment of the invention has the following call legs and incursthe following associated costs:

-   -   Call leg 1—Originator 50 to Mexican Control Center using        VoIP/SIP over data connection—local call costs    -   Call leg 2—Mexican Control Center to US based Control Center        SIP/g.711/TDM/SS7 depending on LCR—low cost alternative routing;    -   Call leg 3—US based Control Center to US based mobile device        using VoIP/SIP—local call costs.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention proposes a methodof least cost routing for bidirectional telephone calls between mobiletelephone 10 in the United States using the invention and a mobile phone50 in Mexico also using the invention. This is done in such a way sothat only local charges are incurred on both the US and Mexican side ofthe communication.

As shown in FIG. 3, this sequence of operation is as follows:

1. A US mobile telephone 10 calls a Mexican mobile telephone 50. Bothare using the LCR SIM service.

2. The SIM card 12 on the caller's phone 10 recognizes that a call isbeing initiated and originates the call via Voice over IP (VoIP) overthe data connection of the mobile telephone using the Session InitiationProtocol (SIP). Such calls utilize a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)in the form of the telephone number along with the IP address of themobile telephone on the data network. This URI is of the form8185551234@65.128.55.4.

3. Once a call has been dialed, the SIM card 12 application on themobile telephone 10 communicates call control information to the AS 40as indicated by (1) in FIG. 3. This information includes called number,calling number, HLR and VLR information.

4. The AS 40 recognizes and authenticates the caller 10 based on the URIand terminates the first leg of the call. This leg is considered a localcall and is charged as such. The AS 40 parks this locally terminatedcall. All subsequent call legs are unseen by the local telco.

5. The AS 40 also recognizes that the called number belongs to theservice as well. The AS 40 sends a prompt to the called user's phone 50(via SMS, IP, missed call or otherwise) as shown by (2) in FIG. 3. TheSIM application 52 of the called user 50 intercepts the prompt andidentifies that the AS 40 has received a call destined for this phone.

6. The called phone 50 initiates a call to the local Mexican number 65associated with the caller's phone 10 during the service setup as shownby (3) in FIG. 3. The SIM card 52 recognizes that a call is beinginitiated and originates the call via Voice over IP (VoIP) over the dataconnection of the mobile telephone 50 using Session Initiation Protocol(SIP). The call reaches the Mexican Control Center.

7. The AS 90 in Mexico recognizes that this is a number paired with a USbased mobile using the invention's SIM card 52 and terminates the firstleg of the return call at the Control Center in Mexico. The AS 90 parksthis call locally and all subsequent call legs are unseen by the localtelecom provider 60.

8. The AS 90 knows the corresponding number of the US based mobile phone10 and initiates a call setup request to this number using Least CostRouting. Again, these options include SIP over private or publicnetworks, SS7, TDM and others. This call setup (4) is merged with callleg (3) at the Mexican Control Center.

9. This call leg (4) reaches the Control Center in the USA and the AS 40recognizes this leg as the return leg of the original call (1).

10. The AS 40 matches the called user's call with the information in theHLR database, authenticates it and retrieves and merges it with theinitial parked call thus connecting the call from end to end.

11. Once the call is complete and the users hang up, the originatingcaller is provided with a report on the screen of the mobile device 10indicating the number of minutes used. Additionally, cost and remainingbalance information will be displayed depending on the payment plan thecaller is using (pay as you go or flat fee with unlimited minutes) andon the initial choice of call route and cost the caller selected. Thisembodiment of the invention has the following call legs/interactions andincurs the following associated costs:

-   -   Call leg 1—Originator to AS using VoIP/SIP—local call costs    -   Prompt—AS in USA to Called Party via SMS, IP, missed call or        otherwise    -   Call leg 2—Called party call to local Mexican number—local call        costs    -   Call leg 3—Control Center in Mexico via SIP/g.711/TDM/SS7—LCR

Another embodiment entails a Mexico-based mobile phone 50 calling a USbased mobile phone 10. As shown in FIG. 4, this sequence of operation isas follows:

1. A Mexican based mobile phone 50 using the invention calls the localMexican telephone number 65 paired to the US mobile telephone 10. Thiscall reaches the Mexican Control Center and can be seen by (1) in FIG.4.

2. The SIM card 52 of the caller recognizes that a call is beinginitiated and originates the call via Voice over IP (VoIP) over the dataconnection of the mobile telephone using Session Initiation Protocol(SIP).

3. Once a call has been dialed, the SIM card 52 application on themobile telephone 50 communicates call control information to the AS 90at the Control Center in Mexico as indicated by (1) in FIG. 4. Thisinformation includes called number, calling number, HLR and VLRinformation.

4. The AS 90 recognizes and authenticates the caller based on the URIand terminates the first leg (1) of the call. The AS 90 also recognizesthat the called number is a number paired with a US based mobile 10using the invention's SIM card 12. The AS 90 parks this call locally andall subsequent call legs are unseen by the local telecom 65.

5. The AS 90 knows the corresponding number of the US based mobile phone10 and initiates a call setup request to the corresponding ControlCenter in the USA using Least Cost Routing. These options include SIPover private or public networks, SS7, TDM and others. This is indicatedby (2) in FIG. 4.

6. This call (2) reaches the AS 40 in the US based Control Center. ThisAS 40 recognizes the Caller number, the Called number and the US basedmobile 10 number and authenticates the call. The call is then terminatedand parked at the US based Control Center. In the meantime, the ControlCenter in Mexico merges the two call legs.

7. The AS 40 initiates a Voice over IP call using SIP to the destinationmobile phone 10 over mobile device's data connection as indicated by (3)in FIG. 4.

8. Once the call reaches the called party, the original parked call leg(2) is merged with the final call leg (3) and the call is connected fromend to end.

9. Once the call is complete and the users hang up, the originatingcaller is provided with a report on the screen of the mobile device 50indicating the number of minutes used. Additionally, cost and remainingbalance information will be displayed depending on the payment plan thecaller is using (pay as you go or flat fee with unlimited minutes) andon the initial choice of call route and cost the caller selected. Thisembodiment of the invention has the following call legs and incurs thefollowing associated costs:

-   -   Call leg 1—Originator to local Mexican number using        VoIP/SIP—local call costs    -   Call leg 2—Mexican Control Center to US based Control Center        SIP/g.711/TDM/SS7 depending on LCR—low cost alternative routing    -   Call leg 3—US based Control Center to US based mobile device        using VoIP/SIP—local call costs.

One of the key features of the invention in all the foregoingembodiments is that it functions in such a way so that all portions of acall are considered local calls by the respective local telecomproviders. This is the case for all embodiments of the invention asdescribed above, regardless of the direction or the initiator of thecall. This is achieved by separating the voice (bearer) channel from thesignaling channel and essentially terminating the signaling locally. Thefirst call leg (1) between the Caller 10 and the US based Control Center40 is terminated such that the caller and called number in the signalingare both US based numbers. The second call leg (2) is created betweenthe two control centers and uses, in most cases, VoIP technology overthe Internet. The call signaling in this call leg is initiated andterminated by the two control centers 40, 90. Finally, the third callleg (3) is between the local telco 60 and the destination number 50where the caller and called numbers contained within the call controlinformation are both local numbers. Telecom providers derive their feesby the Call Detail Records (CDRs) that are generated from the callcontrol information. Specifically, they use the caller number and thecalled number to determine the nature of the call, that is, if it islocal, long distance or international. The call control information fromeach of the above call legs is isolated for each leg. For example, thetelecom provider 16 in the US, based on the CDRs “sees” a local callwhich is initiated at the mobile device and is terminated at the USbased Control Center 40. Caller and called numbers in the call controlinformation are both US based. Similarly for the third call leg, thetelecom provider 60 in Mexico, again based on the CDRs, “sees” a callwhich is initiated and terminated by two local Mexican numbers. Thesecond call leg (2) generates CDRs at both control centers 40, 90, butbecause in most cases this call leg will go over the Internet usingVoice over IP (VoIP), no calling restrictions can be enforced. For eachcall leg, there are several choices for routing a call and the choicethat is made can be influenced by several factors. The resulting routingin turn will also influence the resulting cost of the call. The detailsof these choices can be seen in the flow chart found in FIG. 6. Theexample used is a call from a US based mobile device using the inventionto a Mexican landline destination. The following procedure is followed:

1. A call is initiated and the destination number is compared to thedatabase of the service to determine if:

a. the destination is a number in Mexico that is also using theinvention or

b. the destination number is within the target area code in Mexico thatwas configured during the initial setup of the service.

2. If none of these are true, then the call is routed normally over thePSTN with the normal toll charges.

3. If the call does conform to one of the above criteria, then the SIMcard application communicates with the US based AS 40 using UnstructuredSupplementary Service Data (USSD) codes to determine the cost optionsavailable to the user.

4. The SIM card application by default chooses the lowest cost optionautomatically and routes the call accordingly. However, it can beconfigured to allow the user to make the choice. Through the USSDcommunication, the SIM card application can display the three options tothe user who then chooses one.

a. Note that the three options include any combination of the following

-   -   i. Method of routing for call leg 1 (SIP, GSM)    -   ii. Method of routing for call leg 2 (SIP, SS7, TDM and others)    -   iii. Method of routing for call leg 3 (SIP, GSM, TDM depending        on whether destination is a subscriber to the service, a third        party mobile phone or a landline phone)

b. Each method of routing will incur a different cost and this is thecriterion that is used for the user choice.

c. The options available may also be influenced by what is available atthat particular time. This can be affected by

-   -   i. Network congestion    -   ii. Network availability    -   iii. Existence of a network problem or malfunction

5. Depending on the configuration, the best choice is automaticallychosen or the user makes a choice and this information is sent to the AS40 using USSD.

6. The first call leg is then initiated from the handset to the US basedAS 40 based on this choice.

7. The first call leg is terminated at the US based AS 40 and CDRinformation is recorded and

a. is sent to the US based telecom provider 16 for costing purposes ifGSM is the routing choice

b. does not have to be sent to a telco 16 if SIP over the dataconnection of the phone is the routing choice

8. The second call leg is initiated between the US based telco 16 andMexico based control center 90.

9. CDR information is recorded at both ends.

-   -   a. If this leg uses a third party telco 60 CDR information is        given to the telco 60 for costing purposes.    -   b. If this leg uses the Internet for call routing, no CDR        information is given

10. The third call leg is initiated from the AS 90 Control Center inMexico to the destination.

-   -   a. CDR information for the local call is recorded and given to        the local telco 60 for costing purposes

11. The call is now in session.

12. Once the call ends, the voice channel is torn down.

13. The users handset communicates with the US based AS 40 over USSD andcall information including duration, cost and remaining minutes aredisplayed on the handset 10 via the SIM application 12.

14. All call control and voice communication that has been initiated forthis call is terminated.

Integrated Money Transfer Service

This embodiment of the invention involves a mechanism for transferringmoney that is integrated as part of the invention. It is a service whichallows the transfer of funds using a multitude of methods, includingones that do not require the use of a financial institution such as abank. Specifically, it provides for Mexican Americans who desire to sendmoney to their loved ones in Mexico. The invention can however beadapted for international money transfer to most countries abroad. 57%of Mexican Americans and 62% of Mexican residents do not have bankaccounts. Sending money between these two groups of people requires amethod that does not involve the use of bank accounts. To provide forthe needs of all potential users, there are several methods by which aclient can receive funds. These include:

-   -   e-wallet—an electronic wallet on the invention's platform where        funds can be electronically deposited    -   Debit card—a debit card that will be issued to which credit can        be added    -   Bank account—a bank account to which funds can be deposited    -   Physical pickup—multiple physical locations where the receiver        can pick up the funds in cash

It is important to note here that the interface to the system forsending money is either via a web interface, mobile app, SMS textmessaging or via an IVR system. This means that even with basic mobiletelephone (not a smartphone), all of the described transactions can beachieved. These options are further discussed and described in thefollowing sections including an example of the functionality of theembodiment with all of the above options.

Web access—The main access to a CASH4MEXICO powered platform is via aweb page available on any web browser supporting Java Script. All users(e-wallet holder, merchant account holder, agent, and administrator) canaccess the system via a specific web page. The module can be accessed atthe domain name that the CASH4MEXICO operating company has chosen. SeeFIG. 8 for an exemplary architecture that includes a description of webaccess.

Telephone access—User may access CASH4MEXICO powered platform serviceswith any telephone, either landline or mobile, as long as it is DTMFenabled. A telephone may be used for basic actions like enrolment,listening to or requiring an SMS with balance and/or last transactions,transferring to another wallet holder, purchasing and paying for a goodor a service at an e-phonestore, paying securely for an online purchase,or paying at a merchant WAP Phone or APP enabled PoS. See FIGS. 7 and 11for IVR functionality.

WAP phone module—A WAP module can be specially developed so as toprovide a simple text page that can be prompted on a feature mobilephone on the screen of which users may login and perform certaintransactions. This is especially true where a CASH4MEXICO poweredplatform serves informal merchants and businesses than cannot access Webpages over a computer or a smartphone, so that their feature phone maybe used as a PoS to receive consumer payments in a convenient way.Specifically designed modules can also be developed to supply agentsthat may serve as a cash in/cash out Point. See FIG. 10 for WAP phonemodule connectivity.

APPs module—An App module for iOS or Android can be specially developedso as to provide easy to use services that may enhance the efficiencyand speed up certain services and transactions.

PoS Device module—PoS device module can be developed so as to provide aneasy to use payment process over POS such as cash register terminals orpetrol/gas delivery automats and so forth.

e-phone store online payment page—This module allows e-commerce sites touse CASH4MEXICO powered platform as a payment provider. This processenables paying swiftly with a card (PCI DSS) via a simple phone callwithout being required to enter or disclose card details. This modulemay be custom developed to enable redeeming loyalty points and/orcombining payment in points and classical currency.

Access via an agent in a branch or at a call center—A CASH4MEXICOpowered platform enables agents to operate on the behalf of an e-walletholder while keeping the agent under constant control of the system allalong the transaction and enabling the wallet holder to sign securelywithout disclosing the signature to the agent.

Enroll, Register & Login—By default, enrolling and registering to aCASH4MEXICO powered platform requires a simple phone call to thededicated enrolment service number. Registering and opening a wallet canbe performed in about 45 seconds.

Once a holder has opened his wallet, it is not mandatory that heaccesses CASH4MEXICO powered services from the telephone he used toregister. It is possible to interact with a wallet via any phone or webconnected device. It is also possible to enable the registration processfrom a web page providing the registrant holds a telephone that canreceive SMS text messages.

Once it has been opened, the initially available e-wallet services areusually restricted to some basic functions such as balance consultation,editing personal details and limited cash and transfer collection. Atcreation, an e-wallet is strictly anonymous and therefore thetransactions that can be delivered to the holder are restricted. Inparticular, limitations apply to the maximum amount that can be toppedup in an anonymous e-wallet holder account. Limitations and rules thatapply to e-wallets depend on the CASH4MEXICO powered platform operator'slocal legislation and on international banking rules (KYC—Know YourCustomer, Anti money laundering, anti-terrorist)

Contextual signature setting—By design, the CASH4MEXICO transactionprocess requires the e-wallet holder who initiates the transaction tosign with his personal signature before the transaction actually takesplace.

The personal signature, referred to here as the “contextual signature,”is verified in real time by a specific server, called CashTap, whichwill return a “green light” to the CASH4MEXICO server indicating thatthe transaction is valid.

To be able to sign when he is requested to do so, the e-wallet holdermust first enroll to the CashTap server.

To do so the holder is requested to call the CashTap server phone numberwhich is a dedicated enrollment service number, and then follow theprerecorded instructions. He will be directed to input the necessaryinformation that each e-wallet holder must provide to enroll. Theregistration and the opening of an e-wallet can be performed in about 45seconds.

Wallet holder personal details input validation andcertification—Although an e-wallet holder may decide to remain totallyanonymous—for example a tourist that will use his e-wallet for a limitedperiod of time and for a limited number of transactions—it is highlyvaluable for him to document his account and expand its services bygoing through a validation and certification process since the availablefeatures for an anonymous user are comparatively limited.

It is also possible to enable the registration process from a web pageproviding the registrant holds a telephone that may receive SMSmessages. In order to prevent ‘bogus’ or automated logins e-mailvalidation can be required and a Captcha image can be enabled.

Status—At the entry or home page, a window is available to the user withdirect links to actions related to recent events and changed statusesthat can include received payments, loans, references and personalalerts.

Quick access—At the entry or home page a window with clickable iconswill give direct access to the most used functions.

Message board—The home page will show a message board that can beupdated by the organization from the administration panel.

Payments—The CASH4MEXICO powered platform supports direct (normal)payments, scheduled payments (installments), authorized payments andinvoices.

Account summary & history—Members can view account information such asavailable balance, credit limit and can search for transactions in thetransaction history list.

Member profile—A member can update his or her profile and insert one ormore pictures. A member can choose to hide certain fields for othermembers such as the address and phone fields. The administration candefine which profile fields can be modified and hidden by the member andalso defines if a field is mandatory.

Member directory—Members can look for other members (or businesses) witha fully indexed search.

Messaging system—Members can send messages to each other. The messagefunction supports rich text editing. Administrators can define specificmessage categories for member-to-system messages (e.g. ‘support’, ‘loanrequest’ etc.)

Mailings—Administrators and brokers can send mailings to groups ofmembers with the messaging system.

Marketplace—An online venue where members can publish advertisements(products and services), upload pictures and search for advertisements.

Advertisement interests—Members can register one or more ‘interests’ oradvertisement criteria. For example a member can register a new interestfor ‘Offers’ in a specific category like ‘vehicles’, price range,keyword etc. When a new advertisement is placed in the system thatmatches the criteria the user will receive an instant notification (viae-mail or mobile phone depending on the preferences).

Notifications—In the notification page a member can define what kind ofnotifications to receive, like account alerts, information on receivedloans, payments, references or invoices.

Additional notifications can be configured such as new member andadministration messages and ‘ad interest’ matches. The member can alsodefine if she wants to receive the notifications as internal CASH4MEXICOpowered platform messages and/or via e-mail or SMS.

Contacts—Members can add other members to a personal a contact list inorder to quickly perform any actions related to the other member (makepayment, send e-mail etc.). In the contact list it is also possible toadd a personal note to a contact. This note is not visible to othermembers, nor to administrators.

Reports & activities—A member can obtain an overview of the activitiesof another member. The reports page will show general information likehow long the member has been in the system and the number ofadvertisements and references. The report function can also show accountinformation like balance and credit limit but this is an optionalfeature and disabled by default.

References and referrals—Members can set referrals to other members. Theadministration can pre-define the possible reference values and activatethe alerts system when thresholds are reached or exceeded (e.g. x amountof negative references received)

Transaction qualifications—These qualifications are similar toreferences but related to specific transactions. Both payer and receivercan qualify the transactions and the administration can put a finalcomment in case of conflict.

Loans—The loans function is mostly used by micro finance and ‘currencybacked’ networks and probably somewhat less for mutual credit networks.A member can receive personal loans or loan groups (micro credit type).The loan page in the member section gives an overview of all the loanswith their status and repayment dates.

Operators—Operators can be seen as ‘sub’ members managed by members(businesses) where multiple persons need to access a ‘company’ account.A member (business) can create operators and set permissions. The membercan search and retrieve reports on payments performed by specificoperators.

Broker/Loan agent—A member of a ‘broker’ group can register new membersand have some level of access and control over these members, dependingof the configuration. The name ‘broker’ may not be fully descriptive ofthis feature because this function can be used in many ways. A commonfunction is that a broker can receive commission when registeringmembers. The commission can be configured based on the amount of tradedone by the new members. A broker may be allowed to do part of thepersonal administration for members who are not able to do thisthemselves. This can be useful for communities where persons do theadministration for members who do not have the ability to do thisthemselves. The broker function can also be used by loan agents in microfinance systems. The loan agent can also register new members andretrieve information about the loan status of the members.

Help function—The CASH4MEXICO powered platform includes a manual thatdescribes all the functions. In addition to the manual, everyfunctionality window has its own help (pop-up) file with an explanationof that function.

Administration Functions Include the Following:

Status—The entry of the administration section gives a quick overviewwith the system status and other information like the release number,system uptime, alerts, connected users, open system invoices, andreceived messages. All the items have direct links to the relatedfunction window.

Member management—Most actions related to members are done from theactions window below the member profile page. Using the ‘jump toprofile’ function at the entry page an admin can quickly get to thispage.

Configuration—The CASH4MEXICO powered platform has configuration atindividual, group and system wide levels (where lower configuration willalways override configuration on higher levels, e.g. individualconfiguration will override group configuration)

Account structure—The account structure is entirely dynamic. Accounts,currencies and transaction types can be created and configured.

Group based structure—User groups can be created and permissions andrules set. An administrator can modify the default ‘built-in’ groups andcreate new groups and assign permissions to them. Administration groupscan be created to organize and delegate different administration taskslike member account administration, loans administration and systemadministration. The CASH4MEXICO powered platform also comes withbuilt-in administration groups. For more complex systems that havevarious communities with multiple currencies and different levels ofinternal trade the ‘group set’ or ‘group filter’ function can be used.With this function it is possible to join various member groups in alogical entity or ‘community’ group. Such a community group could be anisolated group with its own rules, pages and layout but theadministration can also allow payments between communities.

Contributions & Fees—CASH4MEXICO powered platform has various types offees and contributions like transaction fees, interest and demurrage.There are many ways the fees can be configured and charged.

Charge (roll) back of payments—An administrator (with permissions) can“undo” a payment. This means that a payment in the opposite directionwill be generated. If the specific payment generated other transactions(e.g. fees and loans) all transactions will be rolled back.

Loans & credit—There are many ways in which the CASH4MEXICO poweredplatform can handle the granting of loans and credits. It is possible toset ‘personal’ credit limits to members or groups. This is common formutual credit networks and Time banks where users start with a zerobalance and can go either into debit or credit. Monetary systems thatwork with backing like micro finance and commodity backed systems canimplement a ‘Debit’ or ‘Float’ account for creation of units and thehandling of loans. Different types of loans can be created like singleloans and loans with periodic loan repayments. Additional loan settingsand fees can be configured per loan type. Next to the ‘individual’ loansthe CASH4MEXICO powered platform supports loans to ‘group loans’ whichis common for micro finance projects.

Alerts & logging—Alerts can be defined for system alerts, member relatedalerts and thresholds. The alerts system is part of the messagingsystem. All actions in the system are logged with a time stamp, usernameand possible form values. Both the alerts and log system have asearchable history.

Personal alerts—An admin can configure specific alerts to be sentautomatically to his e-mail address. For example, these can be systemand member alerts but also alerts on specific types of payments that aremade.

Custom fields—Most fields in CASH4MEXICO powered platform are not fixedor ‘hard-coded’. It is possible to define new ‘custom’ fields forprofiles, advertisements, loans and payment types. An admin can definethe type of field (e.g. text area, select box or radio button) andbehavior for these fields (e.g. input mask and validation). It ispossible to have different profile fields for member groups.

Content management—Administrators can create and modify pages such asthe login page, news, message board, contact information, top banner andothers, and set their visibility for specific groups. It is possible toupload and insert images into the pages. With the same function theCASH4MEXICO powered platform layout (colors, fonts and borders) can bemodified. To facilitate easy changes to the layout the CASH4MEXICOpowered platform comes with ‘themes’. It is possible to create newthemes and export and import them.

Translation management—The CASH4MEXICO powered platform translation canbe modified online and changes will appear immediately (no restartneeded). It is possible to import and export translation files.

Record types—Member record types can be used to store additionalinformation to members in a structured way. A member record type can bebuilt using ‘custom fields’ and can be configured in many ways. Typicalrecord types include a call center function or credit analyses storage.An extra menu entry can be displayed per record type that will givedirect access to a search page within the records.

Documents—The administration or broker/loan agent can attach files ordocuments to individual members or groups of members. The visibility canbe configured for administration only for both administration andmembers. A broker or loan agent can be given permissions to manage thedocuments. It is also possible to specify ‘dynamic’ documents. Thismeans that a member can print a document that will automatically includesome of his profile fields. If needed the member can first be presentedwith a form to be filled in. The form data can also be included in theresulting document along with the profile fields. Dynamic documents aremade by the administration in HTML format and can be in rich format andcontain images. Typically dynamic documents are used when theorganization requires a document signed by the member and to verify itcontains certain member fields and optionally extra member input.

Messaging—As explained in the member section members can send messagesbetween them. Members can also send messages to the administration.Messages between members and the administration must always have amessage category (e.g. question, problem, loan request). The categoriesare defined by the administration. It is also possible to define whichadministration group will handle messages of specific categories.

Connected users—This function will display the currently connectedadmins, brokers and members with their login, the date of login andtheir remote IP address. An administrator with the appropriatepermissions can disconnect users directly from this page.

Bulk actions—To facilitate user management, the bulk action functionallow an administrator to perform actions on entire groupings of users.

Migration tools—These tools facilitate migration of information fromother systems to the CASH4MEXICO powered platform. It is possible toimport member lists, advertisements, advertisement categories andaccount information, and to set the initial balance on members'accounts.

Reports & Statistics—With the statistics function it is possible toretrieve more elaborate statistical information with in depth analysesbased on dates, time periods or recurrent time frames. Various kinds ofdevelopments and activities can be selected and generated in tables andgraphs. Reports and Statistics can be displayed directly in theCASH4MEXICO powered platform and most of them have a ‘print’ and‘download as CSV file’ option.

Bookkeeping—The bookkeeping module is commonly used for systems thatwork with external backing of the internal currency. With this module itis possible to mirror ‘external accounts’ (e.g. a bank account) in theCASH4MEXICO powered platform and run a ‘batch’ process on the importedtransactions. A batch process can for example generate a system tomember payment (buying of units) for every external (incoming)transaction of the type ‘deposit’. Before running the batch process anadministrator can run a ‘simulation’ batch to check if the results arecorrect. The function also facilitates the control of the balancebetween the external ‘backing’ account and the system ‘loan’ account inthe CASH4MEXICO powered platform.

Channels—the CASH4MEXICO powered platform can handle requests viavarious media or “channels.” These can be internal CASH4MEXICO poweredplatform channels like web, PoS or mobile phone. With the channelstructure it is possible to add new external (payment) channels toenable access from third party software like e-commerce sites, ATMmachines and PoS devices.

Registration agreements—A registration agreement is a text that can showup at the registration page and users who want to register must select acheckbox stating that they agree with this agreement in order to be ableto submit. An agreement is a kind of a contract. When a member is movedto a group with a different registration agreement he will have toaccept the agreement that is active for the new group.

Security—Because the CASH4MEXICO powered platform can be used forvarious types of networks it is possible to implement different securitylevels. The security of the CASH4MEXICO powered platform is on a server(hosting) level and is not within in the scope of this document. TheCASH4MEXICO powered platform has some basic security solutions that arealways enabled and transparent for the users. For example, passwords arealways sent encrypted over the Internet (even if HTTPS is not used) andsecurity measures are implemented to prevent cross site scripting andSQL injects. The CASH4MEXICO powered platform has various system widesecurity settings like the enabling of HTTPS, expiration times of usersessions, white and black access lists that check on IP and domain namesand an optional virtual keyboard for login page and transactionpasswords. Thresholds for alerts can be set as well as maximum number oftransactions per day. Payment types may also require authorization.There can be various levels of authorization where each level can haveits own rules and conditions. Some security configurations are groupbased. Transaction passwords can be enabled per group and there are manyextra password and access policies that can be defined per group.

Help function—The CASH4MEXICO powered platform includes a manual thatdescribes all the functions. In addition to the manual everyfunctionality window has its own help (pop-up) file with an explanationof that function.

All data in the CASH4MEXICO powered platform, even customizations andimages, are stored in the database. There is only one simpleconfiguration file outside the CASH4MEXICO powered platform what makesmaintenance tasks like backups and upgrades of CASH4MEXICO poweredplatform considerably easy. The initialization process of theCASH4MEXICO powered platform will always check the versions of theCASH4MEXICO powered platform software and the database. When a newversion is installed, the initialization process will upgrade thedatabase automatically. With every new version a changelog is providedwith an explanation of all changes and possible new and changedtranslation files.

The CASH4MEXICO powered platform has a set of web services (APIs) thatcan be used for communication and integration with other softwareproducts or devices.

It should now be apparent that the above-described system allowspayments to be made without the need for financial institutions such asbanks to get involved with the transactions. See FIG. 9 forcomplementary information.

The following is an example of money transfer. There are several optionsthat the sender has. Several methods are described, however, theemphasis here is on those methods that do not require the use of afinancial institution such as a bank.

-   -   A user in the US will purchase a Call4Mexico/Cash4Mexico top-up        card of a specific amount. The card is authenticated by the        cashier.    -   The user will open the Call4Mexico/Cash4Mexico SIM app in the        phone and enter the PIN number provided for in the purchased        card.    -   The user can indicate whether the top-up is for use with calling        minutes or in order to be added to the e-wallet total balance.        The user chooses the addition of the funds to her e-wallet.    -   If this is the first time the user is transferring money, he        will be asked for additional personal information such as        -   1. ID, passport, address, phone number        -   2. A voice print will also be taken using voice recognition            to authenticate money transfer users    -   The user then chooses what she wants to do with the funds in the        e-wallet. To transfer the money, she chooses the one who is to        receive the funds either by        -   1. choosing from her contact list        -   2. by searching through the contact directory of registered            users for the appropriate party

3. by entering the telephone number, name and additional informationabout the receiver of the funds depending on the choice of the method oftransfer (see next step)

*Note that the receiver of the funds can be a registered user of theservice or not. In all cases, a valid mobile telephone number isrequired.

-   -   The sender is then given a choice of the method of transfer:        -   1. Transfer the funds to the receiver's debit card that has            been issued for this purpose. The debit card can then be            used for retail purchases just like a bank debit card        -   2. Transfer the funds to a bank account the information of            which the user has already inputted.        -   3. Send the funds so they can be physically picked up in the            form of cash at a predetermined physical location from an            institution that has partnered with the service.        -   4. Transfer the funds to the e-wallet of the receiver.    -   What happens next depends on which of the above choices was made        and is described in the following sections:

Choice 1—Transfer Funds to a Debit Card

The funds can be transferred as credit to a debit card that can beissued by the invention's service. This debit card will act like aprepaid card with which a user can purchase items using a retailers PoSsystem just like any other bank debit card.

Choice 2—Transfer Funds to a Bank Account

The funds can be transferred to an existing bank account at anyfinancial institution that the sender chooses. The sender will beprompted to provide any additional required information about thereceiver, bank account number and other identification information.

Choice 3—Physical Pickup of Funds in the Form of Cash

The sender can choose to have the receiver pick up the funds in cashfrom one of many physical locations of partnering organizations withinMexico. This is arguably the option that will most often be chosen.Specifically, if a user chooses this option:

-   -   A code will be sent via text message to the recipient's mobile        phone.    -   This code is also sent electronically to a local institution or        organization that is partnering with the service (local bank,        supermarket or convenience store chain for example)    -   The user can then go to this institution with the code and their        ID and receive the amount in cash.    -   The institution is reimbursed electronically for their        partnership and gains a percentage of each transaction.

If the receiver is a registered user of the service, the funds can betransferred to their e-wallet and the receiver is informed of thedeposit. This option gives the receiver the choice of how to gain accessto the funds. The use of these funds can conform to any of the optionsdescribed above in regard to the E-wallet holder's functions. These caninclude making payments electronically, providing or obtaining loans ortransferring funds to other accounts to name a few.

The foregoing method of money transfer frees the sender and the receiverfrom the need to be tied to a bank account, or other financial service,with multiple methods of payment and multiple interfaces includingconnectivity via services available over mobile telephony suchInteractive Voice Response (IVR), Voice Recognition, SMS or a mobileapp, all without the participation of third party financialinstitutions.

Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certainmodifications of the concept underlying the present invention, variousother embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of theembodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to thoseskilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept.It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A method for least cost routing for mobile telephone callsbetween a country and a foreign country, comprising the steps of:pre-establishing a target area code in foreign country; and programminga SIM card with computer instructions for carrying out the steps of,recognizing that a call to a destination number is being initiated tosaid target area code, completing the call via Voice over IP (VoIP) overa data connection via Session Initiation Protocol (SIP); communicatingSIP call control information to a local control center including callednumber, calling number, HLR and VLR information, said local controlcenter carrying out the steps of; recognizing and authenticating saidcalling number and terminating and parking said call, formulating a callsetup request to the called number in said foreign country,automatically determining the lowest cost routing option, transmittingsaid routing option to the SIM card application, initiating a new callto the destination number via the lowest cost routing option,terminating on the destination number, and merging the parked call withthe call terminating on the destination number.
 2. A platform fortransferring money using the method of claim 1, wherein funds aretransferred to any one of an electronic wallet, a debit card, a bankaccount, or a physical location.